Under a Book’s Spell

“That’s the thing about reading as a child. You don’t just read a book: you enter it.”[Catherine Gilbert Murdock]

There is something about a great book that draws you in. The words lift off the page and create a doorway, that will only open if the readers are willing to let the book take them.

–Think of the Doors of Durin–

“Then silently a great doorway was outlined, though not a crack or joint had been visible before. Slowly it divided in the middle and swung outwards inch by inch, until both doors lay back against the wall.”

[J R. R. Tolkien]

A book is a journey, and readers be warned: those who enter through these terrific tomes must be prepared for a long, sometimes emotional, sometimes stressful, but always exciting expedition.

It is important to pack only what is essential: plenty of tea or coffee, your multipurpose shoes, and most importantly, your creative mind. The more you open up your imagination, the more you will get out of each book that you read! Even a good book can seem dull by someone who reads it with a closed mind. As I wrote earlier, friends, let the book take you. Every written word has a purpose on the page, every chapter builds a story that yearns to invite you in!

As I was preparing for this post, I knew I wanted to connect it to Harry Potter, because, well, Harry Potter! And obviously, the Harry Potter series is an immersive quest! From the first line to the very end, Rowling’s world engulfs its readers and makes them a part of the story. Even now, after rereading these books countless times, I am still enchanted by this world unlike our own. I can open to any page in these books and feel as if I just bumped into Harry walking down the street, and he invites me to join him!

I would say these books are like a pensieve (for those who don’t speak Harry Potter–one, please please read these books– two, a pensieve is a magical object that is used to review memories.) Similar to a pensieve, the twenty-six letters of the alphabet are flawlessly utilized to recall each magical storyline. But more than a pensieve, these books remind me of Tom Riddle’s Diary.

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry discovers a bewitched journal that replies to what is inked on its pages:

“Harry wrote: My name is Harry Potter.

Diary: Hello, Harry Potter. My name is Tom Riddle. How did you come by my diary?”

[J K Rowling]

Not only does the diary respond to Harry, it also pulls him into its pages to show him a story. (Of course if you have read these books, you know that there is more to this diary than just a storytelling transport device.)

“Diary: I can show you, if you like. You don’t have to take my word for it. I can take you inside my memory of the night when I caught him.

If only books could carry conversations with the readers! But for now, I will continue to enjoy reading from these immersive stories that consume my waking and sleeping mind.

For my Children’s Literature class (that is sadly finished) we were assigned to explore The Horn Book’s website.

From their website:

“Bertha Mahony founded The Horn Book in 1924 to herald the best in children’s literature. More than ninety years later, we are still following her lead. The Horn Book Magazine and The Horn Book Guide are the most distinguished journals in the field of children’s and young adult literature and the core of our company.”

During my adventures surfing their site, I came across this wonderful article written by Children’s Book Author, Catherine Gilbert Murdock called, Magic Books.My heart beats to the rhythm of her childrens books commentary.

At the beginning of this post I added a quote from her article, and now I would like to share the entire thought:

“That’s the thing about reading as a child. You don’t just read a book: you enter it. The best image I can come up with is climbing into a submarine — a small bolt-covered steampunk submarine with lots of cranks, and you seal yourself in and you descend… And when I reemerged from my submarine, cranking open the hatch, I needed to make sure that nothing in that world had changed. But of course, something had changed. Me.”

[Catherine Gilbert Murdock]

A good book changes you. Especially when read as a child; that book will play a hand in shaping that child into who he or she will grow up to be. For me, and plenty others around the world, that book series is Harry Potter!

I don’t think I can say it enough, but if you have a child who is looking for a book to read, or maybe needs motivation to read, present them with these books. Let these books do their part in building a young reader into one who is brave, loyal, and fights for what is right!

As a twenty-something-year-old, I still believe I am under these books’ spell!

What spell casting book do you love? I would be happy to read about it and have a conversation with you! I enjoy talking about books a great deal! Please feel free to leave a comment! You can also follow me on my instagram and facebook pages @roseonreading!

For now, I can’t help myself, here is another quote from this on-point article:

“But magic is not simply the words within the book — it is the book itself.”[Catherine Gilbert Murdock]